


When You Are Young

by M1dn1ght_Star



Category: Native American/First Nations Mythology, Original Work
Genre: Gen, Kidnapping, Native American learning tale, This was literally a school project I wanted to post okay, not graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 06:49:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16781779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M1dn1ght_Star/pseuds/M1dn1ght_Star
Summary: An original Native American tale...





	1. Version One

**Author's Note:**

> I have two versions of this story, I will post both.

Sisana sat sleepily by the fire as her older sister Misha stirred the corn pudding over the fire. She was not responsible enough to make breakfast yet, so her parents gave her other tasks to do. Leaping Panther, her brother, also sat nearby, speaking quietly with their parents.

Misha took the corn pudding off the fire and spooned it into wooden bowls. She handed one to each of her family members before sitting down to eat herself.

Sisana was about halfway done when her parents finished and left to go to the fields and river. Her siblings exchanged a look and moved closer.

"Sisana, don't go to close to the settlement later once you've finished your chores. It isn't safe. I know you can be very curious sometimes but try to think before you act." Misha told her.

Sisana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I know Misha. I won't go too close." She hurriedly finished the rest of her breakfast and left before her sister could say anything more.

She had several things to do today. First, she visited the stream and filled the water jugs. Then she gathered firewood and placed it next to the now smoldering fire. After that, she met up with some other girls her age to work on mending some clothing.

It was around midday when Sisana went back to her family's wetu. Misha wasn't there, as she was busy in the fields, but her mother handed her some squash to eat.

"Are you finished with your chores?" she asked Sisana.

"Yes. I was going to go gathering nuts and berries for the rest of the day." Sisana replied.

"Okay. Make sure to come home before dinner and don't go too close to the settlement." her mother said, smiling and handing Sisana a basket to put anything she found in.

Sisana waved goodbye to her mother and headed along the stream, finding some wild strawberries. She was just putting them in her basket when she caught sight of the settlement through the trees. She had always been curious about the settlers and despite her family's warnings, she found herself drifting slowly closer to the town.

Soon, she was sitting on a rock at the edge of the trees, staring at the settlers as they toiled away building a new house. It was warm and she was feeling drowsy when suddenly she was knocked out from behind.

-

Sisana woke up in a small room. It was dim and dusty. The walls were settler style and bare. She tried to sit up and found that her arms were tied behind her back. Rocking back and forth, she managed to sit up.

The door opened a moment later and a tall man came in. He had blond hair and calculating grey eyes. "Hello, I see you're awake. May I ask your name?" he asked.

Sisana could only vaguely understand what he was saying, but she heard the word name. "Oh, I, uh, I'm Sisana."

"I am Mr. Edward Holden. Well, I hope you are comfortable, Sisana. You may be here for a while. That is, if your tribe wants you back." He smirked, checked her ropes, and left again, leaving Sisana in confused silence. She realized that he must be trying to ransom her back to her tribe. She should have stayed away from the settlement like her mother and sister had told her!

A while later, she was laying down again when the door swung open quietly. Misha and Leaping Panther stood in the doorway, looking disappointed. Misha stepped forward and cut through Sisana's ropes with her bone knife, freeing her.

"I'm so sorry, I should have listened..." Sisana said forlornly.

"Shhh." Misha said, "We need to be quiet. Edward Holden is in the next room asleep." Leaping Panther helped Sisana stand up, for her muscles were sore from being forced into the same position for hours and her hands were numb.

The siblings walked in silence through a narrow hallway and out into the open sky, where the sun was starting to go down. Sisana inhaled nervously. Her mother had told her to be back for dinner, and that would have been hours ago.

"Are-" she started.

"Yes. They know you were taken by a settler. They are currently waiting for us by the fire. If we aren't back by sundown, they will assume that we are all captives and come rescue us." Misha replied, anticipating what Sisana was trying to ask.

They walked past the rock Sisana had been sitting on earlier and she noticed her basket was still there, but empty, with little pawprints in red juice spilled nearby. When she saw that, she just had to smile. At least someone had enjoyed the strawberries.

She stopped to pick up the basket as they went past, and Leaping Panther helped her along the path as they picked their way back to their wetu, Misha following behind erasing their tracks. The last thing they wanted to do was lead any settlers to their village.

The sun had just dipped below the horizon when the three siblings found themselves at the fire in front of their wetu. Their parents sat waiting.

Before they could say anything, Sisana blurted, "I'm sorry, mother and father! I know I shouldn't have gone so close to the settlement, but I thought it was merely fun and games until I got kidnapped by a settler. I realize now that I should have been wiser like Misha and you and stayed far away from it."

Misha exchanged a surprised look with Leaping Panther. Sisana noticed her parents were nodding approvingly as well.

Her father gave her a smile. "Sisana, I think you have learned to be wiser and stronger in controlling your impulsive nature. I do not think a punishment is necessary this time. I do wish for you to stay with your sister whenever you go out gathering however. It is for your safety as well as to remind you to think before you act."

"Thank you, father. I will not make you regret your leniency."

Leaping Panther looked like he was about to say something but was interrupted by Sisana's stomach grumbling.

He laughed a little. "I think punishment enough will be going without dinner. Now I'm glad that Misha was wise enough to have us eat before we left." He glanced fondly at his sister, who blushed and murmured that it was 'mother's idea.'

\---

Sisana watched from the fire as Misha's children laughed and raced in circles in the grass. It was summer, and the settlers had been getting antsy, the heat getting to even the most level-headed of them. Misha had asked Sisana to watch her children for the afternoon while she helped Nirava with the baking. Nirava was her friend, of the same age as her, and the two women enjoyed spending time together.

Sisana was older now, and wiser. She knew not to go to close to the settlement or jump in the stream in the winter. But Misha's children didn't, and so when she heard Aspen daring little Lehan to run down the settlement and touch the 'cursed stone', she went over and said, "Ah, Aspen, have you not learned the wisdom of staying away from the settlers yet? It took me a while before I learned too, but I would have been saved much trouble to learn at an age like yours. Leave Lehan alone and find something better to do, like listening to stories." She used the promise of stories to lure the rest of the children near the fire.

"What story will you tell us today?" Lehan asked excitedly.

"Ah, Lehan, today I will tell you the story of a girl who needed to learn to be wise."


	2. Version Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This version is more edited and has figurative language, but I like both.

Sisana sat sleepily by the fire as her older sister Misha stirred the corn pudding over the fire. The sun was rising and slowly turning their wetu shades of gold and pink. She yawned and watched Misha make the food. She wanted to do it, but she was not responsible enough to make breakfast yet, so her parents gave her other tasks to do. Leaping Panther, her brother, also sat nearby, speaking quietly with their parents.

Misha took the steaming nassamp off the fire and spooned it into wooden bowls. She handed one to each of her family members before sitting down to eat herself. Nearby, the fire leaped in joy and flickered cheerfully.

Sisana was about halfway done when her parents finished and left to go to the fields and river. Her siblings exchanged a look and moved closer.

"Sisana, don't go to close to the settlement later once you've finished your chores. It isn't safe. I know you can be very curious sometimes but try to think before you act." Misha told her.

Sisana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I know Misha. You've told me a million times! I won't go too close." She hurriedly finished the rest of her breakfast and left before her sister could say anything more.

She had several things to do today. First, she visited the stream and filled the water jugs. Then she gathered firewood and placed it next to the now smoldering fire. After that, she met up with some other girls her age to work on mending some clothing.

It was around midday when Sisana went back to her family's wetu. Misha wasn't there, as she was busy in the fields, but her mother handed her some squash to eat.

"Are you finished with your chores?" she asked Sisana.

"Yes. I was going to go gathering nuts and berries for the rest of the day." Sisana replied.

"Okay. Make sure to come home before dinner and don't go too close to the settlement." her mother said, smiling and handing Sisana a basket to put anything she found in.

Sisana waved goodbye to her mother and headed along the stream, finding some wild strawberries. She was just putting them in her basket when she caught sight of the settlement through the trees. She had always been curious about the settlers and despite her family's warnings, she found herself drifting slowly closer to the town. She felt like a magnet drawn to metal.

Soon, she was sitting on a rock at the edge of the trees, staring at the sweaty settlers as they toiled away building a new house. It was warm, and she was feeling drowsy when suddenly she was knocked out from behind.

-

Sisana woke up in a small room. It was dim and dusty. The walls were settler style and bare. She tried to sit up and found that her arms were tied behind her back. Rocking back and forth, she managed to sit up.

The door opened a moment later and a tall man came in. He had blond hair and calculating grey eyes. "Hello, I see you're awake. May I ask your name?" he asked.

Sisana could only vaguely understand what he was saying, but she heard the word name. "Oh, I, uh, I'm Sisana."

"I am Mr. Edward Holden. Well, I hope you are comfortable, Sisana. You may be here for a while. That is, if your tribe wants you back." He smirked, checked her ropes, and left again, leaving Sisana in confused silence. She realized that he must be trying to ransom her back to her tribe. She should have stayed away from the settlement like her mother and sister had told her!

A while later, she was laying down again when the door swung open quietly. Misha and Leaping Panther stood in the doorway, looking disappointed. Misha stepped forward and cut through Sisana's ropes with her bone knife, freeing her.

"I'm so sorry, I should have listened..." Sisana said forlornly.

"Shhh." Misha said, "We need to be quiet. Edward Holden is in the next room asleep." Leaping Panther helped Sisana stand up, for her muscles were sore from being forced into the same position for hours and her hands were numb.

The siblings walked in silence through a narrow hallway and out into the open sky, where the sun was starting to go down. Sisana inhaled nervously. Her mother had told her to be back for dinner, and that would have been hours ago.

"Are-" she started.

"Yes. They know you were taken by a settler. They are currently waiting for us by the fire. If we aren't back by sundown, they will assume that we are all captives and come rescue us." Misha replied, anticipating what Sisana was trying to ask.

They walked past the rock Sisana had been sitting on earlier and she noticed her basket was still there, but empty, with little pawprints in red juice spilled nearby. When she saw that, she just had to smile. At least someone had enjoyed the strawberries.

She stopped to pick up the basket as they went past, and Leaping Panther helped her along the path as they picked their way back to their wetu, Misha following behind erasing their tracks. The last thing they wanted to do was lead any settlers to their village.

The sun had just dipped below the horizon when the three siblings found themselves at the fire in front of their wetu. Their parents sat waiting.

Before they could say anything, Sisana blurted, "I'm sorry, mother and father! I know I shouldn't have gone so close to the settlement, but I thought it was merely fun and games until I got kidnapped by a settler. I realize now that I should have been wiser like Misha and you and stayed far away from it."

Misha exchanged a surprised look with Leaping Panther. Sisana noticed her parents were nodding approvingly as well.

Her father gave her a smile. "Sisana, I think you have learned to be wiser and stronger in controlling your impulsive nature. I do not think a punishment is necessary this time. I do wish for you to stay with your sister whenever you go out gathering however. It is for your safety as well as to remind you to think before you act."

"Thank you, father. I will not make you regret your leniency."

Leaping Panther looked like he was about to say something but was interrupted by Sisana's stomach grumbling.

He laughed a little. "I think punishment enough will be going without dinner. Now I'm glad that Misha was wise enough to have us eat before we left." He glanced fondly at his sister, who blushed and murmured that it was 'mother's idea.'

\---

Sisana watched from the fire as Misha's children laughed and raced in circles in the grass. It was summer, and the settlers had been getting antsy, the heat getting to even the most level-headed of them. Misha had asked Sisana to watch her children for the afternoon while she helped Nirava with the baking. Nirava was her friend, of the same age as her, and the two women enjoyed spending time together. She thought once again of the basket she had once carried, with its berry pawprints like the wisdom she had trampled all over years ago.

Sisana was older now, and wiser. She knew not to go to close to the settlement or jump in the stream in the winter. But Misha's children didn't, and so when she heard Aspen daring little Lehan to run down the settlement and touch the 'cursed stone', she went over and said, "Ah, Aspen, have you not learned the wisdom of staying away from the settlers yet? It took me a while before I learned too, but I would have been saved much trouble to learn at an age like yours. Leave Lehan alone and find something better to do, like listening to stories." She used the promise of stories to lure the rest of the children near the fire.

"What story will you tell us today?" Lehan asked excitedly.

"Ah, Lehan, today I will tell you the story of a girl who needed to learn to be wise." 


End file.
